It wasn't the couldn't-see-it-to-believe-it loss to the Bears in the Fog Bowl in 1988 or anything equivalent to the gut-kickers that were the home first-round playoff losses to the Packers and Saints that ended the 2010 and 2013 seasons.

But for Eagles fans, April 30, 2015, will go down, at least for now, as another day of disappointment for a fan base that should be used to them by now.

So much for the "Do the deal!" chants Kelly heard at the pre-draft party at Lincoln Financial Field.

For now, Sam is the man. That's Sam Bradford, he of the two ACL injuries and the 18-30-1 career record.

For all those who thought that head-scratcher of a deal that brought Bradford from St. Louis for Nick Foles in early March was just a piece in an elaborate plot to get the Heisman Trophy winner reunited with his former Oregon coach, it's time to recalibrate your thinking.

Oh, Kelly said he took at least a stab at a trade that would have brought Mariota to Philly, but ultimately said he wasn't surprised he couldn't get his man.

"I didn't think it was going to happen and it didn't happen," he said.

He denied the rumors that were rampant all day Thursday that the Eagles were offering a couple of defensive players and picks to the Titans.

"We had a conversation with both teams [Tampa Bay and Tennessee]," Kelly said. "But we didn't offer any players. We didn't get into any discussions. It was a really steep price.

"It was like driving into a nice neighborhood, looking at a house and saying 'That's really nice' but then they tell you the price and you drive away. We didn't walk in the front door, we didn't look around."

Kelly said that not giving away everything but the Liberty Bell for Mariota was part of the plan.

"We've said all that along that we want to build this team and we still think there's a lot of value in this draft and in future drafts and we're going to try to hold on to our picks."

All of the Mariota talk created excitement in a town devoid of any on the sports stage since those back-to-back-to-back losses to Seattle, Dallas and Washington killed the Eagles' 2014 season.

Fueled by the sports talk shows, it was the most anticipated draft night in Eagles history.

The same shows will be at it again on a Friday morning that may feel a little bit like a Monday morning in October after a loss to the Cowboys or Giants.

Instead of a Duck, the Eagles brought aboard another Pac-12 player, from USC.

Eagles fans can only hope Nelson Agholor works out a little better than Matt Barkley.

By the time Agholor's selection was made about 10:20 Thursday night, chances are many of the draft night parties around the Delaware Valley had lost some of their sizzle.

At least it wasn't an offensive lineman.

Agholor isn't the franchise-transforming selection many had hoped for, but at least his selection addressed one of the team's many holes after the revolving door stopped spinning in March.

Agholor can stretch the field in more ways than one.

"Nelson played all over the field for USC," Kelly said. "Steve Sarkisian did a good job of moving him around. He played inside receiver, he played outside. He had 104 catches last year and he's a real versatile, real smart guy. He even lined up in the backfield for them. He understands the game."

The experts are saying the Eagles have their new Jeremy Maclin, but Kelly & Co. also envision him as another DeSean Jackson because Agholor was a breakaway threat as a punt returner in Southern California.

Consider him a nice consolation prize.

The Eagles will use the next two days to shore up the other holes on the roster — secondary and offensive line — and the fan base will simply have to cling to the hope that the best trades are the ones you never made.